Baking Chocolate
by FallAway
Summary: Sequel to Offbase Broken. Rory needs to relearn the process of honesty, and Jess is the only one who can remember enough of who she used to be to help. Literati. Complete.
1. 36 New Messages

Summary: Sequel to _Offbase Broken_. Rory needs to re-learn the process of honesty, and Jess is the only one who can remember enough of who she used to be to help. Literati.

Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own.

A/N: And here it is: the multi-chapter fic that is the continuation of _Offbase Broken_. This starts off about half an hour after that fic ends, so you should probably read it to be able to understand this, but it's not _totally_ necessary. Any and all reviews are appreciated, since this fic is somewhat experimental and I need all the feedback I can get.

--

The apartment is modestly furnished and somewhat small, but it's in a nice area of town and she's proud of him for being able to have this place for himself. She stands in front of the bookshelves that stretch from floor to ceiling all along the widest wall in the living room in awe, the aftermath of her breakdown still apparent in her harsh hiccups.

"Here," Jess says quietly, handing her a steaming mug of coffee. Rory offers him a small smile and takes a skip of the scalding liquid as she turns her attention back to the novels in front of her.

She hasn't even heard of half the titles.

Her cell phone rings from across the room and she winces, her hands shaking from the effort to keep her tears in. Jess sighs and grabs the small chunk of plastic, turning it off before shoving it in the back pocket of his sweats. She smiles at him, more brightly this time, and he returns the gesture with a nod.

"I don't have a guest bedroom…"

"The couch is fine."

"Rory, you're not sleeping on the couch," he says firmly. She rolls her eyes and smirks at him over the rim of her coffee cup.

"Who says I'll be sleeping? I have books to catch up on," she gestures to the shelf in front of her and he visibly relaxes at the teasing tone in her voice.

"And I will let you take full advantage of that, but tonight you need to sleep," he retorts quietly. Rory sighs but nods a little and tightens her grip on her mug.

"I'm not … um," she swallows audibly and takes a deep breath. "I'm not …" she groans, frustrated, and sets her mug down, clenching and unclenching her fists. Jess takes a step closer to her and lays a hand on her shoulder unsurely. Rory relaxes a little and nods to herself before turning to face him.

"I'm not used to sleeping alone."

"Would you like a teddy bear?"

She smacks him in the shoulder and he chuckles softly when he fails to dodge the attack. Her eyes scan the floor for something distracting to look at and he lifts her chin gently, pushing her hair behind her ear with the other hand.

"Want me to stay with you, then?"

Rory nods a little and sniffles slightly, a hiccup escaping her throat and causing them both to laugh. She sighs quietly and wraps her arms around his neck, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath when he pulls her closer and wraps his arms tightly around her waist.

"Thank you," she whispers against his neck. Jess nods a little and untangles himself from her, offering her a reassuring smile as he leads her down the short hallway to his bedroom. Rory smiles when she enters the small room after him, taking in the muted earth tones of the paint on the walls and the covers on the bed.

It's a change from the colors of his old room, the one above the diner, and she thinks she kind of likes it. He's grown up now, and he's mellowed in the past few years and she wonders if he still reverts to that monosyllabic boy she fell in love with when things get tough.

"Do you have anything with you other than that dress?"

She winces and looks down at the gaudy, black, glittery material that has wrinkled since she wore it twelve hours ago to dinner. "I didn't exactly plan this out," she whispers. He nods knowingly and grabs her hand, giving it a squeeze before disappearing into a closet she didn't see before.

Rory wraps her arms around herself protectively and sits down on the edge of his bed, smiling a little when she realizes how soft the mattress is. It's a nice contrast to the too-firm bed that she slept on in New Haven.

She winces at the train of thought and shakes her head to clear it.

"I have … sweats, pajama bottoms... and t-shirts. And that's pretty much all I can offer you, unless you have some sort of weird issue with plaid."

"You wear plaid?"

"Not the point, Ror."

"You wear plaid," she grins teasingly at him as he steps in front of her. She tilts her head back to look at him and her smile brightens at the stern look on his face.

"Pick what you want," he waves toward the closet and runs his hand down her arm before leaving the room to give her the privacy to change.

She sighs and pushes herself off the bed, flicking on the lamp beside the bed before making her way across the room to the small closet. She runs her fingers over the cotton of his shirts, the smooth leather of a jacket she recognizes from happier (and sadder) days, and she grins idiotically when her hand runs over the plaid pajama pants he'd mentioned to her before he left.

With a lighter, more content sigh, she lifts a pair of pajama pants out of the closet and a t-shirt to go with them, folding them gently and setting them on the bed. She grimaces when she pulls the scratchy material of her dress over her head and thanks God she kept her slippers on as opposed to putting her strappy, uncomfortable high-heels back on.

His t-shirt smells exactly like him and she closes her eyes as it slides over her skin. It's comfortable, wearing his clothes, because they aren't preppy and perfectly ironed. They're well-worn and lived in, and she loves that feeling more than she can describe. His pajama bottoms are too long, but not by much, and she rolls the waist band twice to make them fit more accurately.

Her dress is tossed into the corner and forgotten about.

Jess is sitting on the couch reading when she walks back into the living room and she leans against the wall tiredly, yawning silently as she watches him. He notices her presence after only a few seconds and shuts the book gently, tossing it onto the coffee table. He turns around to look at her and grins.

"What?" she frowns.

"Nothing," he returns quietly. The frown deepens and he laughs, shaking his head as he stands up and walks toward her. "You look cute in my clothes," he whispers in her ear. Rory shivers a little and laughs softly, the sound slightly foreign to her ears.

He winks at her and walks back into the bedroom, leaving her standing in the living room leaning against the wall. He turns on the ceiling light and she rolls her eyes when she notices the new brightness of the room as she walks into it.

"I didn't know there was a ceiling light."

"That's because you don't pay attention," he retorts. She smiles a little and crawls under the covers not a moment after he turns them back, yawning again as she pulls them up over her shoulder. Jess chuckles a little.

"Tired?"

"Yeah," she nods, unsure of how to express to him that this is a very rare occurrence as of late. She's busy as hell during the day, and she should be exhausted by the time she goes to bed at night, but she's not for some reason. She thinks it might be paranoia; fear, maybe, that Logan won't come back.

Rory shakes the thought from her head and smiles when Jess turns off the light and crawls into bed next to her. She carefully settles closer to him, silently asking him to take care of her. Jess sighs a little and wraps his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him under the sheets.

"I'm glad you're here," he whispers after a while. She shivers and nods as she rests her head on his shoulder, eyelids fluttering slightly.

"Yeah," she agrees, matching his volume, "Me, too."

She starts to fall asleep not long after that, the steady rhythm of his breathing lulling her into peace, and she thinks she should have realized all of this sooner. She sighs against his neck and he stirs next to her, tightening his grip on her waist. She smiles a little, not used to someone paying that much attention to her, even in sleep, and for once she's glad she's actually tired.

--

An unfamiliar alarm wakes her up and she blinks rapidly to wake herself up, trying to recall where she is. When she notices the arm that's wrapped securely around her waist she relaxes slightly, breathing him in as she rolls closer to him in the bed.

"Your alarm clock is loud," she grumbles. Jess laughs a little and swats at the offending machine, settling down next to her again when it stops beeping. Rory sighs a little and blinks again as she opens her eyes. She smiles when she sees that he's asleep again and lets out a huff of mock-frustration.

"Jess," she whispers, nudging him. He mumbles slightly but doesn't respond other than that and she rolls her eyes impatiently. "Jess," she sings, giggling when he cracks an eye open and glares at her. "I want breakfast."

"So go make something."

"Do you not remember the last time I tried to make something without your help?"

He groans and buries his face in his pillow, sighing heavily while she bites her lip and waits for him to look at her again. When he does she gives him a winning smile and he relents with another sigh.

"Can you handle making coffee?"

"Who are you talking to?" she retorts with a grin. Jess nods in recognition and stumbles out of bed, scratching the back of his head as he wanders out of the bedroom and toward the kitchen. Rory smiles to herself and follows him, hopping up to sit on the counter next to the coffee maker.

"I haven't been grocery shopping in a week, so your options are pretty limited," he comments as he pokes around in the fridge. "Eggs, strawberries… I probably have pancake mix in the cupboard."

"Which cupboard?"

He looks up at her and grins when she idly swings her legs back and forth. "The one you're sitting in front of."

"This one?" she taps the wood of the cupboard above her head and smiles at him. He nods and she precariously turns herself around to sit on her knees and open the door. "I see … pancake syrup and … batter!" she proclaims triumphantly, pulling the box out of the cupboard and hopping off the counter to hand it to him.

"Well aren't you useful to have around," he deadpans. She blushes lightly and he smirks but chooses not to comment.

Jess moves around the kitchen with precision and she hops back onto the counter as she watches him, slightly entranced by his movements. He cuts up a small carton of newly-rinsed strawberries and sets them on a plate, handing them to her as he walks past her to turn on the stove.

"Do you realize you just gave me fruit?"

"You like strawberries," he returns absently, "I remember." He leans against the opposite counter while he waits for the pancake he just poured into the skillet to start cooking and she tears up before she can quell the urge.

"They were all I'd eat for weeks."

"Yeah," he smirks, "Your mom was convinced I'd gotten you pregnant." Rory laughs and nods as she looks down at the plate of fruit. She sniffles a little and wipes at her eyes to keep the tears from falling.

The plate is removed from her lap and Jess takes her hands in his, watching her in confusion.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she whispers, smiling, "Nothing."

"You don't normally cry when nothing's wrong, Ror," he matches her volume. He strokes his thumbs across her palms and she shivers slightly, the curtain of her hair falling in front of her face. He releases his grip on her hand to push her hair back behind her ear and he ducks his head a little to catch her eye.

"I just … missed this."

He sighs and tugs her closer to him, stepping between her thighs and resting his hands on her lower back. "Yeah," he nods, "Me, too."

Rory swallows thickly and loops her arms around his neck, smiling a little when he doesn't pull away. He traces circles on her skin through the material of his shirt and she fights back a shiver when her eyes lock onto his.

The smoke alarm starts beeping frantically and Jess curses quietly when he notices the burnt pancake sitting on his stove. He lets go of Rory with a self-deprecating groan and she frowns as she drops her arms back into her lap. He sighs and turns off the stove, clicking on the fan above it before grabbing a chair and stepping onto it to turn off the smoke alarm. Rory bites her lip and grins a little.

"Burn things often?"

"Only when I'm distracted."

"So I'm a distraction now?"

He shoots her a look before ducking his head and taking the battery out of the alarm, tossing it onto the table as he steps off the chair. "You know the answer to that."

Rory reddens adorably, biting the inside of her lip in a nervous habit. She realizes with a start that her cheeks are burning more than they have in three years, and she wants to scream in relief. _That_ shade of red seems to only occur when she's around him, and she's missed it so much it makes her want to cry now that she's feeling it again.

"Do you need to call your mom?"

"Shit," she puts her palm to her forehead and sighs heavily. "Luke probably told her about my call this morning."

"What call?"

"I called him after I left the apartment last night to get your number," she responds absently. She hops off the counter and walks into the living room before realizing that she doesn't know where Jess put her phone. "What did you do with my phone?"

"It's in the bedroom," he calls. Rory nods and walks down the short hallway, finding the piece of plastic on the dresser by the closet. She sighs and picks it up, sinking down on the mattress as she turns it on.

The screen lights up and informs her that she has thirty-six new messages, and she dials her voicemail with shaking fingers. She rolls her eyes when Logan's voice fills her ears and she sighs as she gets off the bed and wanders back into the kitchen.

Jess sets plates filled with pancakes and strawberries on the table and a small container of heated syrup next to them when she walks into the room and she smiles reassuringly at him while she sits down at the table. Logan rambles in her ear about coming home and working it out and she scoffs when he tells her that he loves her.

Jess raises an eyebrow and she shakes her head slightly. "Logan," she says simply. His expression darkens and he looks down at his plate, stabbing his fork into a strawberry with twice as much force as is necessary.

Rory groans when the next few messages are exactly the same as the first and she snaps her phone shut and slams it down on the table impatiently. Jess remains quiet and she takes a deep breath before picking it up again and calling Lorelai.

"Tell me you're not in Philadelphia."

She sighs heavily and sinks down in her chair, running a hand through her hair. "I thought you told me not to lie to you."

"Rory!"

"I know, Mom, I know," she sighs again.

"So if you know then what are you doing?"

"I can't …" she pauses and her breath hitches painfully. "I can't really explain this to you and have you understand, it's just something I need to do."

"Did Logan do something?"

"Yeah," she whispers, "But it's not just that. It's … Dean and Yale and Grandma and Grandpa and … me."

"Do I need to be worried, here? Because if-"

"-no, Mom; I just need to figure some stuff out."

"Promise me you will call me as often as you can."

"I promise."

"And honey?"

"Yeah?"

"Be careful."

"I will."

"I love you," Lorelai sighs resignedly. Rory nods to herself and returns the words before saying goodbye and turning her phone off again. She lays it down on the table and turns her attention to the plate of food in front of her, digging in gratefully.

"What'd she say?" Jess asks quietly, abandoning his food and shoving the plate away from him. He slouches down in the chair and watches her as she eats, swallowing back a bite and pursing her lips together.

"These pancakes are fantastic, Jess. Where'd you learn to cook?"

"It's pre-made batter, Rory. All you have to do is add water. Now let's not avoid the question, please."

She sighs, "The usual. Be careful, call, what did you expect her to say?"

"She doesn't want you here, does she?"

"I don't think she's exactly pleased, but she's probably happier that I'm with you than Logan!"

"Whoa, whoa," he sits up and places his hand on her forearm, moving his head until their eyes lock. "I didn't mean to start a fight."

"You didn't," she sighs heavily and sets down her fork, deflating. "I'm just on the defense."

Jess swallows thickly and stands, crouching down next to her chair and tugging on her arm until she turns to face him. He settles his hands on her knees and stares at her seriously. Rory holds his gaze despite the shallow blush rising in her cheeks and he takes a deep breath.

"I don't know why you showed up here last night, Ror." She opens her mouth to retaliate and he pushes on before she can, "But I'm glad you did. The last time I saw you, you were the total opposite of the girl I used to know and… I was pissed," he chuckles a little. "I hated seeing you with that blonde prick, acting all high and mighty when you and I both know you weren't then and you aren't now. That's not who you are," he says seriously. Rory swallows audibly and nods, but lets him continue speaking.

"So you showing up here last night was kind of a shocker. And Logan calling me every name in the dictionary when I answered your phone wasn't much of one. But you breaking down on the living room floor of my apartment and telling me how much you hate yourself…"

"That was a shocker," she finishes in a whisper.

"Yeah," he nods gently and takes her hands in his, twining their fingers together. "So you can stay here as long as you need to, Ror," he smiles reassuringly at her, "But I'm not going to be your replacement until Logan decides to clean up his act."

"You're not," she whispers desperately. "Jess…"

"Then what are you doing here?"

"I wanna be with you, dumbass!"

Jess freezes and his eyes widen slowly, Rory's hands flying up to her open mouth in shock. She moves to stand and he grabs her arms, pulling her back down before she can go anywhere.

"What about Logan?"

"Long story," she says seriously. He nods a little and takes a deep breath, standing up and offering her his hand.

"Then let's hear it."


	2. No Brown Uniform

Disclaimer: No.

A/N: Much bigger response to this than I thought I was going to get; thank you all so much for the reviews. I actually have another fic that I'm putting out tomorrow – and yes, it's another continuation, but I'll find a way to balance this, _Must Be Fate_, and the other fic. They'll all get their fare share of updates in a (hopefully) timely manner.

Now be my best friend and review this chapter too, please!

--

Rory lets out a heavy sigh and sinks back against his chest, curling her legs up underneath her. Jess shifts against the end of the couch slightly, allowing her to curl into his side as he lies down across the cushions. She bites the inside of her bottom lip and cuddles closer to him, the familiar scent of him setting off small piles of explosives in her head.

Almost like a sensual atomic bomb.

She idly traces circles on his chest with her index finger, half-watching the movie that's on the screen in front of her. It makes her cringe every few minutes from the horrible dialogue and equally-awful acting, but she's more focused on the measured rise and fall of his chest, anyway. He sighs and looks down at her, brow furrowing in concern.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," she whispers, nodding against him. Jess runs his hand down her back in a calming gesture and she takes a deep breath before turning her attention back to the movie.

"_He sneaks out to go bar-hopping with Colin and Finn," she said quietly. "And he comes home at night smelling like so many women I can barely decipher the different brands of perfume."_

_Jess clenched his jaw and looked down at the couch cushions beneath him. "You're living with him?"_

"_Not anymore," she laughed nervously and pushed her hair behind her ears. "I don't know why I even … it's like he came into my life and just flipped it totally upside down with no instructions as to how to right it again."_

"_So I take it you didn't want to be swept off your feet this time."_

"_There was no sweeping," she argued. "Pushing, maybe, but no sweeping," she smiled softly at him and his expression softened a little. "Last time I was swept was when …" she trailed off and he nodded in acknowledgement._

"_Yeah," he whispered._

"_I didn't want things to get this screwed up," she said brokenly. Jess glanced up at her and she swallowed thickly, crawling across the couch and into his lap. He sighed against her shoulder and wrapped her up in his arms, letting her cry against his neck as he rubbed her back in soothing patterns._

"This is really bad," she comments, laughing against him when he nods his head in agreement. "Why did we decide to rent this?"

"You wanted to see the new version of _House of Wax_; I just didn't put up an argument."

Rory looks up at him and purses her lips together. "Next time; argue." Jess laughs and reaches for the remote that's sitting on the coffee table, keeping his arm wrapped around her back as he does so. He pushes stop on the DVD and tosses the piece of plastic back onto the table when the television glows blue from the screensaver.

"I think the best part of that was watching Paris Hilton die," he comments dryly. She grins at him and sits up slightly, stretching her arms above her head. The cotton of his t-shirt glides comfortably against her skin and she shivers from the sensation, nails idly running through her ponytail and scraping her neck as she lowers her arms back to her sides.

Jess watches her through tired eyes, a small smirk playing at his lips when she looks back at him.

"What?" she whispers delicately, suddenly shy under his gaze. He shakes his head and pushes himself down on the couch until he's completely stretched out on the cushions, Rory still sitting beside him. She sighs and lies down next to him.

They lay there in a comfortable silence for the next few minutes, the blue glow of the television fading when Jess reaches over and clicks the screen off.

"You know, I read your book about ten times," she says softly. Jess looks down at her but she keeps her gaze trained on the ceiling, studiously avoiding his eyes.

"Why?"

"It was familiar," she shrugs and rests her head on his shoulder. "It calmed me down when I was particularly upset over Logan's little … adventures."

"_I'm sorry," he whispered, quietly, against her ear. She sniffled against his neck and pulled away, staring at him in confusion._

"_For what?"_

"_For leaving."_

"You never deserved this," he whispers vehemently. Rory turns her head to look up at him and frowns. She leans up on her elbow next to him, tracing her other hand down his cheek.

"I'd think that you of all people would love to hear what I've been through lately." Jess jerks his gaze away from the ceiling and stares hard at her, brown eyes darkening as she rests her hand on his chest.

"Why would you think that?"

"Oh, please, Jess."

"Don't do that," he says seriously. "Don't avoid this, Ror."

"Can you honestly sit here and tell me that you don't hate me for that night?"

"Rory," he shakes his head, "I-"

"No, Jess," she bites out, sitting up and frantically scrambling off the couch. She slumps against the wall across the room and stares at him as she protectively crosses her arms in front of her chest. "Don't lie to me, _please_."

"How can you think that-"

"I said no!" she shouts. Her eyes flood with tears and she gasps to catch her breath, which is suddenly coming in barely-there pants, and she buries her face in her hands as she leans against the wall. "I said no," she whispers, attempting to control the wavering of her voice. "And I slept with Dean to forget about you, and it didn't work but I tried to pretend like it did, and now I'm here, with you, just like it was supposed to be but everything's so fucked up and I-"

Jess cuts her off by placing a finger over her lips, shaking his head and furrowing his brow. He works his jaw and lowers his forehead to hers before taking both of her hands in his and intertwining their fingers.

"I jumped the gun that night," he whispers. "I saw Dean and I got scared and …"

"I'm sorry," she breathes.

"Don't be. We wouldn't have made it then; you know that as well as I do."

"We could've tried."

"We would've failed," he offers her a small smile, "And we would've ended up hating each other in the end."

Rory nods and closes her eyes, breathing deeply to control her tears. "Okay," she nods again. Jess sighs and tugs on her hands as he stands up, pulling her with him and leading her toward his bedroom.

She climbs under the covers silently, wiping away stray tears as Jess wanders into the bathroom to change. She stares at the ceiling blankly and drums her fingers idly on her stomach. He crawls into bed a few minutes later and she looks over at him, offering him a tiny smile as they simultaneously scoot closer to each other.

"I didn't mean for this to be …" Rory pauses and shakes her head. "Awkward," she finishes in a whisper. Jess wraps an arm around her waist and tugs her closer to the warmth of his body, pulling the sheet up to span her shoulder.

"We'll work on it."

--

He groans and rolls over in bed, reaching for a body that he knows he won't find. He lets out a sigh when his hand only comes into contact with cold, white sheets and he leisurely climbs out of bed when there's another knock on the door.

"Coming!" he shouts. "Jesus," he groans and pushes his palm against his forehead in an attempt to calm his raging headache. He throws open the door with a false hope that she'll be standing there and he blinks in surprise at who he sees in front of him.

"No time for polite circles," Paris shoves past him into the apartment. "I'm on a mission, so unless you plan to help me then get the hell out of the way."

"What the fuck?" Logan stares at her as she marches determinedly into the bedroom, gathering his ex-girlfriend's clothes into her arms and throwing them onto the bed in a messy pile. "Paris, what are you doing here?"

"Does she have a suitcase or something I can put this stuff in?" she gestures impatiently toward the pile of clothing on the bed. He raises his eyebrows in confusion.

"Huh?"

"Suitcase? Duffel bag? Backpack? Keep up, whitey," she snaps her fingers at him and he blinks at her for a moment before snapping out of it and pointing toward the hall closet. Paris gives him a disinterested look and brushes past him, retrieving two small suitcases from the closet and packing them with the things she'd laid on the bed a moment ago.

"Do I even want to know why you're taking all of Rory's stuff?"

"Well, better me than Lorelai. I can guarantee she wouldn't be so civil about it," Paris retorts smoothly. She walks around the bed and yanks open the drawer of (Rory's) nightstand and pulls out a small, black, thin-paged short novel that he vaguely recalls her reading a few months ago.

"Lorelai? What does she have to do with this?" Logan grabs for the bottle of aspirin sitting on his bureau and pops back a few of the small, round, white pills and he grimaces when one lingers on his tongue for too long.

"Rory called and asked me to send her stuff. When I asked why she didn't call her mother she informed me that Lorelai didn't want to be thrown in jail for murdering you in the process of gathering her daughter's things. Penalties for female murderers are a lot harsher than they were back in Lizzie Borden's day," Paris explains impatiently. "Toiletries are in the bathroom, I assume?"

"Yeah…" he responds absently. She marches into the bathroom before he can even complete the syllable and he coughs dryly into the back of his hand.

This really is the end.

"Books," Paris crosses her arms and taps her foot impatiently. Logan blinks at her and she rolls her eyes, throwing her arms in the air in exasperation. "Her books, Logan? Or have you forgotten what those are? Rectangles normally filled with pages, sometimes colorful with text…"

"Yeah, I know what books are, Thumper," he rolls his eyes and then grimaces from the pain of the action. "I think she keeps them on the shelf over there," he gestures toward the other side of the room and Paris nods curtly when she finally notices the bookshelf.

Paris contemplates the vast amount of books in front of her and crinkles her brow in dismay. She pulls out her cell phone and Logan slumps down on the bed, head in his hands, while she dials and starts to tap her foot again as she waits for the call to go through.

The sound only serves to intensify the pounding in his skull and he grunts. Late nights with Colin and Finn really didn't have such a good after-taste.

"Am I expected to send all of your books, too?"

He looks up at the blonde standing a few feet away from him. She studiously ignores him and winces as she listens to the response from the other end of the line.

"Can you make do with whatever that Kerouac clone has until I can get back here and pack them properly? One more minute in this room and I think my IQ might actually fall into the negatives."

Logan continues to stare at her and she lets out another sigh, saying a short goodbye before hanging up her phone and shoving it back into her pocket as she grabs the suitcases that are on the mattress.

"I'd say it was nice to see you, but I don't like to lie," Paris says dryly. He doesn't bother to follow her to the front door, but he hears it slam as she leaves the apartment.

He thinks she probably did that on purpose.

--

She hangs up the phone and flops back on the bed with a sigh, twirling the plastic above her head as she stares at the ceiling blankly. He walks into the room a minute later, hair still damp from the shower, and she offers him a bright smile when he sits on the bed next to her.

"How'd the raid go?"

"Paris is sending all the essentials. She said she'd send my books another time; apparently spending any longer than ten minutes in a room with Logan lowers her IQ to a negative integer."

"Yeah, well," Jess rolls his eyes, "What else can be expected of a guy who uses names like Tolstoy and Dickens to try and intimidate his girlfriend's ex?"

"Ex-girlfriend," she says softly. Rory bites her bottom lip nervously and he looks down at her affectionately.

"Right," he nods, "Ex-girlfriend."

"But this just gives me another reason to raid your bookcase," she grins. "When do you go back to work?"

"Tomorrow," he sighs and smoothes out a wrinkle in the still-turned-back comforter.

"That gives me an entire day to get started on your new collection, Mr. Mariano," she winks at him. He laughs and runs a hand through his hair, a few remaining drops of water falling haphazardly onto his shoulders.

"Not totally new," he retorts lightly. "I think I still have a few of your books out there, actually."

Rory's eyes light up and she widens them comically, sitting up suddenly and giggling in spite of herself. "The Holy Barbarians?"

"Possibly," he shrugs. "I couldn't honestly say."

Rory impulsively leans over the bed and kisses him on the cheek before scrambling out of the bed and all but running into the living room. Jess blinks at her retreating form and then grins when he hears her squeal from the front of the apartment.

"I can finally finish it!" she exclaims when he walks into the living room. She smiles brightly at him and he nods in agreement. "Did you like it?"

"It was good," he nods. "Not worth losing my hearing over, but …"

Rory throws the book at his head and he laughs when he dodges out of the way. She simply glares.

--

He smirks and leans against the doorframe, nonchalantly crossing his arms over his chest.

"Delivery for Rory Gilmore," she deadpans, holding up the suitcases before letting them fall back at her feet with a clunk.

"I see no brown uniform. How do I know you're not some serial killer come to maim me and sell my liver on eBay?"

"Like the UPS guy can be trusted," Paris retorts. Jess grins and steps back to let her in. She pushes past him and he rolls his eyes when she mutters an insult under her breath as he lifts the suitcases and pulls them into the apartment.

"Rory! Hitler's here!" he shouts as he closes the door. Paris glares at him until Rory comes prancing into the room, running a towel through her hair vigorously.

"Can you two at least pretend to get along for five minutes?"

"No," they reply in unison. Rory blinks and then shakes her head slowly, an amused smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"And yet you're so in tune," she gushes. Paris rolls her eyes and glances at Jess before turning her attention back to Rory.

"As far as I'm concerned, you're choosing one Neanderthal over another. So I'm just keeping my opinion out of it," she says seriously.

"Didn't you just state your opinion?" Jess asks, scratching the back of his head. Paris glares at him.

"Okay," Rory smiles and walks over to Jess, roughly shoving her towel into his arms. "Go put this in the dryer for me?" He grumbles but acquiesces to her request, shooting Paris one last annoyed look as he leaves the room.

"Your clothes, toiletries, and that," she waves her hand, "_Book _you love so much. I'll bring the rest eventually, but for now it'll have to do."

"Thank you," Rory says sincerely. She sighs and runs a hand through her hair, scattering droplets of water on the back of her – his – t-shirt in the process. Paris nods a little and scuffs her shoe into the carpet.

"Are you okay?"

"Not … exactly," Rory chuckles lightly. "But I will be," she nods.

Paris nods in turn and takes a deep, awkward breath. "If you need anything… you can call. My cell phone's never turned off."

"A technological girl," Rory smiles, "I like that."

"Here to please," Paris rolls her eyes. She stares seriously at her friend for a moment before walking forward and giving her a tight hug. "Call me when you come back to school."

"I will," Rory nods and gives her one last squeeze before letting go. Jess walks into the living room a second later and Paris levels her gaze with his.

"If you hurt her I'll kick your ass."

"She knows martial arts," Rory stage-whispers, "So you might wanna listen to the girl." Jess smirks a little and nods, locking eyes with the blonde.

"Wouldn't dream of it," he says seriously. Rory swallows audibly and Paris nods her approval, noticing his subtle tap on Rory's elbow. She shivers from the touch and Paris bites her lip.

"Okay. You know the number," she looks at Rory. "And you know the warning," she looks pointedly at Jess. He gives her a salute and she rolls her eyes, spinning on her heel and leaving the small apartment just as quickly as she'd walked in.

Jess brushes his hand down Rory's arm before moving around her to pick up her suitcases again, carrying them back into the bedroom. She follows him with an added bounce to her step and she shoves him out of the way to dig through her clothes as soon as he sets her bags on the bed.

"You'd think Santa delivered those," he chuckles. Rory grins at him and quickly unzips both suitcases, flinging their tops back and grimacing at the messy piles of clothing she finds in each. "Are you sure your mother didn't pack these?"

She glares at him over her shoulder and he gives her an apologetic smirk as he sits down on the edge of the bed.

"Look at this," she says quietly, pulling item after item out of the mess. "Skanky, skanky, slutty, skanky, stupid, glittery…" she huffs in irritation and looks at him helplessly. "What the hell was I thinking, Jess?"

"I take pride in the fact that I _don't_ live inside your head, thanks."

Rory swats him on the shoulder and he grabs her hand, pulling her in front of him until she's standing in between his knees. "Ror," he says seriously, resting his hands on her hips. "It doesn't matter what you were thinking because it's over now. And the fact that you decided to get out and fix it is what matters."

"Yeah," she sighs and rests her forehead against his for a moment. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"You guess?" he teases.

"Oh. Right. Insatiable ego; knows everything," she smacks her forehead mockingly, "I forgot." Jess glares at her playfully and she shrieks when he starts tickling her sides, the clothing that's strewn about the room forgotten as she does her best to retaliate through her laughs.


	3. Are you?

Disclaimer: Nope.

A/N: Sorry this took so long – I've been incredibly busy. This chapter is shorter than the first two, but that's because I want the next portion of the story to be its own separate chapter. I was going to add it onto this one but I changed my mind. Thank you so much for all the reviews, I'm glad that y'all are enjoying this. Now I have a request: leave me another one?

--

It is hardly fair that she is here, intruding on his life and asking so much of him. Then again, she's not really asking anything, so she's not sure why she feels so goddamn guilty. He promised her she could stay as long as she wants, and it's only been a week but she still feels like she's been here too long.

The left side of the bed smells like her shampoo now.

Closing her eyes against the sunlight, she grumbles in half-sleep and turns over in the bed to snuggle against him. Jess sighs and wraps his arm around her waist, tugging her closer under the sheets. Rory smiles a little and mumbles unintelligibly, the guilty tugging in her stomach fading reluctantly.

"You know, if you would've said something I could have gotten you a teddy bear," he comments. She swats at his stomach and furrows her brow, still refusing to open her eyes and acknowledge the morning.

"Mm, but a teddy bear can't do this," she counters, tugging at the arm that is draped across her hip. "And really, what is the point in snuggling if it is not reciprocated by both parties?"

He chuckles and slides further down the bed until they are nose-to-nose. She rubs a hand across her eyes and frowns when she opens them. The sun is ridiculously bright, she decides. Her eyes close again and Jess makes an annoyed sound beside her.

"You can't stay in bed all day."

"Says who?"

"Civilization."

"Then I want to be a Neanderthal," she proclaims. A pause, "Any tips on how to do that?"

"Ha-ha," he says dryly. "Come on, Ror, up."

In response, she opens one eye and attempts to glare at him. Her fingers close around the comforter and yank, sending the cloth flying over both of their heads. She giggles at the annoyed expression that is painted across his face and he rolls his eyes.

Jess opens his mouth to chastise her and she slaps a hand over it to stop him. "Since when are you Mr. Morning, anyway? I seem to remember having to wake you up almost every morning back in Stars Hollow."

"If you classify that as stripping the blankets off the bed and kissing me until I woke up," he retorts. Rory glares.

"How else was I supposed to get you out of bed? A train could have come through that apartment and you would've slept right through it!"

"I think I resent that."

"Oh, I'm sure," she laughs. The sun shines through the thin material of her temporary tent and she smiles at the orange glow that lights his skin. Jess regards her for a moment and then smirks mischievously.

"You never found it… I don't know, odd? That I was never awake when you came to the diner even though I was supposed to be working?"

"No," she narrows her eyes. "Why?"

He smirks again, "And you say I'm not a good actor." Rory swats at his arm and drops her jaw incredulously.

"You faked it!"

"You wouldn't kiss me otherwise!"

"Oh, please."

"It is entirely your fault that I felt no love in that relationship," he continues. "You should be ashamed of yourself, Gilmore."

She shoves him off the bed and giggles as she drops her head over the edge of the mattress to look at him. He shakes his head and sits up slightly, leaning back on his elbows as he returns her gaze.

"No love," he shakes his head. Pouting playfully, she slips off the bed until she's sitting next to him.

"I'm terribly sorry," she sighs. "What ever can I do to make it up to you?" He grins at her and she recognizes the gleam in his eye with a jolt. Cocking his head to the side, he shrugs slowly and fights back a smirk.

"Well," he drawls. "I seem to remember this thing you would do with your tong-"

Rory slaps a hand over his mouth and blushes profusely. "Finish that sentence and suffer for it." Jess presses a kiss to her palm and she gasps quietly, yanking her hand back quickly.

"-tongue," he smiles. She glares and falls back on the floor with a groan.

--

He sits down at his desk with a sigh, tossing a worn copy of _Cat's Cradle_ on the desk. The papers coating the surface flutter from the impact and then settle, reminding him all the more of the work that he still hasn't gotten done since he started on it almost a week ago.

"Jess, man, that new author called for you yesterday. Told him you were out, figured you could deal with it today," Chris comments as he walks into the room. Jess raises his eyebrows and nods.

"Great," he drawls. "Yet another job to add to the list."

"You okay? You seem a little … off."

"Everything's just _dandy_," Jess nods, though the sarcastic tone of his voice contradicts the sincerity of his response. Chris folds his arms in front of his chest and raises an eyebrow.

"Dude, you're glowing."

"Don't call me dude."

"Now is that a post-coital glow?"

Jess smirks and shakes his head.

Chris grins, "But it is a girl?"

"Get me that author's phone number so I can see what the problem is," Jess dictates. He sticks a pen behind his ear and looks back at his co-worker when he continues to stand in front of the desk. Raising an eyebrow, "Chris?"

"Whatever, man," Chris laughs. "I will find out, though, I guarantee," he grins and turns away from Jess, walking toward his own desk across the room. Jess sighs a little and idly plays with the cell phone that is lying in his pocket.

She promised to call him if she had a problem.

Running a hand through his hair, he smirks at his own paranoia and turns his attention to the phone sitting on the corner of the desk while Chris recites the phone number from the other side of the small space that the office offers.

--

Her brow furrows and she stares at the handwriting in confusion. "What?" she mutters. Re-reading the passage of the novel, followed by the note, she still finds herself confused as to what the hell he is talking about. She rolls her eyes and grabs the phone off the table, dialing the newly-memorized cell phone number.

It rings once, twice, three times, and she groans in annoyance when she gets his voice mail.

"Jess! Your stupid, enigmatic theories are getting on my nerves! Since when are the Tralfamadorians happy recreations of Billy Pilgrim's war memories? Call me when you get this, because you clearly need to explain this to me."

Rory drops the phone back on the coffee table and returns her attention to the novel in her hands. She glares at the tiny, precise handwriting and shakes off his words as she continues on with the story.

The phone rings and she all but throws herself at the phone.

"Explain! Your theories make no sense sometimes," she huffs. There is silence on the other end of the line and she whines a little. "Jess! I can't read any more unless you explain what you were thinking because it's bugging me!"

"Well, I never thought you would mistake me for Jess. Wait, I seem to recall this happening once before … hmm."

Rory widens her eyes and blushes in embarrassment. "Hi, Mom."

"Hi, sweets," Lorelai chuckles. "Jess confusing you again?"

"His stupid notes on _Slaughterhouse-Five_," Rory responds. "This one makes no sense and he's not answering his cell phone."

"Well, he is a working boy now."

"Dirty."

"Bad imagery."

Rory snickers and shakes her head, abandoning the book as she focuses her attention on the call. "What's up?"

"Nothing; bored. Paris called and asked for Jess' number today. Apparently you've stopped answering your cell phone?"

"I turned it off," she sighs. "Logan kept calling and I got annoyed. I'll call her tonight."

"Oh, lovely. And when you do, can you inform her that I will be changing the number at the house?"

"What? Why?"

"For the reason you just mentioned," Lorelai sighs. "Somehow you managed to get Logan wrapped around your little finger, and he keeps calling. Didn't he get the hint that you weren't coming back when Paris went and packed all your stuff?"

"Apparently not," Rory shakes her head. "Maybe I should send out a newsletter."

"I can see the headline now: Rich Society Boy Dumped by Girl-Next-Door."

"Wasn't the girl next door a porn star?"

Lorelai pauses and then snickers. "Honey, if this is your way of admitting your secret life…"

"You're a horrible person."

"And I'm going to Hell? Yes, but I'll save you a spot!"

Rory smiles, "I appreciate it." The other line beeps and she feels her heart involuntarily skip a beat. "Oh, I have to go, someone's calling."

"Trying to get rid of your mother; it's the spoon incident of junior year all over again," Lorelai complains. Rory giggles.

"Yes, but I already escaped from your clutches, remember?"

"Oh, right. Tell Jess I say hi."

"You do?"

"And that if he tries anything I'm going to buy a hatchet."

"That's more like it," Rory chuckles. The other line beeps again and she reluctantly says goodbye before pressing the flash button and answering impatiently.

"You know, when you leave me voice mails about Tralfamadorians, it leaves me feeling concerned for your sanity."

She blinks and flips open the novel again, a small smile stretching across her face. "Aww, you still think I have some? How sweet." Jess scoffs.

"Clearly I was mistaken. Now am I going to explain this to you or are you going to mock me the whole time?"

Rory grins again and settles back against the cushions. "Explain away."

--

She all but bounces into the café and he can't help but smirk as he follows her into the building. Live music filters out of the speakers, and though he isn't fond of the style, it seems to fit the atmosphere of the place.

"Best coffee in Philly? Seriously?" Rory raises an eyebrow in challenge. "I'm not sure I trust your judgment."

"Well I'm not taking you to every coffee shop in town, so you'll have to," Jess responds. "And of the ten or so that I've been to, this place is the best."

"Ten? That's it? How can you give an honest, accurate judgment if you've only tried ten places?"

He raises an eyebrow, "This place is half a block from Truncheon."

"Of which you still haven't taken me to. I wanna see it," she pouts playfully and idly grabs his hand as they wait in the short line of people who are waiting to order.

"Are you sure you can handle the scrutiny? The last time someone brought a girl in, she was almost eaten alive," he chuckles. Rory shrugs and tangles her fingers with his, pressing against his arm as someone brushes past her to get to a table.

"I'm sure I've dealt with worse. I'm Emily Gilmore's granddaughter, remember?" Jess gives her a small smile and she can't help but grin in response. "Please, Jess?"

He sighs and looks up at the ceiling before glancing back down at her as they finally reach the counter. "Yeah," he nods. "Sure."

--

Chris raises an eyebrow and sits down on the nearest desk with a smirk. He glances at Jess, who is fighting back a smile, and then returns his attention to the pretty brunette in front of him. She shrugs her shoulders and grins.

"Interesting theory."

"Hardly a theory when half the world believes the same thing," she retorts.

"Then it's a popular theory," he argues. "Still a theory. You can't really make Hawthorne's work a fact."

Rory turns to Jess and gestures to Chris impatiently. "You work with this guy?"

"Yeah," Jess nods.

"He must drive you crazy," she shakes her head and walks the few feet toward him, sliding her fingers between his as she leans against the wall with him. He shrugs and looks at Chris.

"Some days," he nods. Rory laughs brightly.

"Who do you agree with?"

Chris raises an eyebrow at Jess and Jess shrugs again, looking down at her as he jiggles their joint hands a little. "You, but that's only because we argued over it so much in high school."

"Sickening," Chris shakes his head. "And here I thought I'd never see you in love, man."

Rory glances at Jess and lowers her head to hide her blush. He squeezes her hand and shrugs his shoulders yet again, a small smirk playing at the corner of his mouth as he regards his co-worker.

"Predicting the future isn't your strong suit," Jess responds. Rory raises her head and stares at him, cheeks darkening further. He squeezes her hand again and she takes a deep breath.

"Apparently not," Chris chuckles and pushes himself off the desk, shaking his head in amusement. "I'll let you two get back to your evening," he starts retreating up the stairs, "Matt should be here tomorrow if you wanna stop by and meet him," he nods towards Rory. "It was nice to meet you."

"You too," she smiles nervously. He leaves the room and she turns to Jess, somewhat shocked at the exchange she just witnessed. Jess ignores her and tugs on her hand, leading her out of the building.

Stepping closer to him so as to avoid the traffic on the sidewalk, she periodically glances up at him as they make their way back down the block to the café and his car. Eventually he smirks and shakes his head.

"What?"

Rory gapes at him. "What? How can you ask me that?"

"Well you're staring at me like you just found the Holy Grail, so I'm a little curious as to why."

"Dumb does not become you."

"Glad to hear it," he smirks down at her. "Now are you going to stop playing vague and tell me what you're talking about?"

Suddenly irritated, she stops him in the middle of the sidewalk and stands in front of him so that he is forced to stop walking. Jess raises an eyebrow and she shakes her head incredulously.

"You're in love with me?"

"Ror…"

"No! You didn't deny it, so does that mean you are?"

"Do we have to have this conversation in the middle of the sidewalk?"

"If it keeps you from avoiding it, then yes! Answer the question!" she pleads, desperate for an answer. Her heart rate speeds up as he stares at her, and when he opens his mouth to respond she finds herself unable to hear it.

So she presses her mouth against his and holds onto him as he stumbles backwards from the shock.


	4. Stay

Disclaimer: I still don't own them.

A/N: is short today. I don't have much to say. Um … I do know what I want to do with this story, and I'm sorry I haven't been updating as often as I've wanted to. But know that I do have plans and I do want to achieve them all, and this fic will be paid more attention to as soon as I get out of school. It has not been forgotten and its readers haven't been forgotten, either. I really appreciate all the reviews I've gotten for this so far and I'm so glad y'all are enjoying it. This chapter was incredibly fun to write, so any/all feedback will be cherished forever.

---

Her mouth is pressed against his and she feels like she can't breathe for a fraction of a second. He's going to pull away; she can feel it, so when he presses his hand to the small of her back and runs his tongue along her bottom lip she's completely thrown. Rory gasps and he takes the opportunity to invade her mouth, and the wet hot slide of his tongue is so fucking familiar it makes her want to cry.

Tangling her fingers in his hair, she pulls herself closer to him in an attempt to block out the sounds of the sidewalk around them. Someone scoffs a few feet away and she can hear them commenting on how propriety is dead. She laughs silently into the kiss and Jess pulls away lazily, resting his forehead against hers lightly.

"Jesus, Rory," he gasps, brushing his nose against hers. She shivers and digs her nails into the back of his neck lightly, breathing harshly. His body tenses after a moment and Rory waits for the other shoe to drop.

Eventually she grows impatient and angles her mouth toward his for a soft kiss. "What's wrong?"

"I'm not jumping back into this," he swears. Her brow furrows and he shakes his head, kissing her forehead gently. "Rory, you've got so much to deal with," he sighs and pulls back from her. "Adding a relationship to that isn't going to help matters."

"Jess…"

He locks eyes with her and she feels electricity shoots down her spine, bouncing off her vertebrae like a train on a worn-down track. His eyes are dark, clouded over with something she vaguely recognizes from their days together in Stars Hollow, and she jumps when she realizes that he's trying to make this easy.

This is not a plan to hurt her.

"I want to be with you," she tells him, repeating her words from days ago. Jess opens his mouth to respond and she shakes her head. "I'm not asking you to come with me, Jess. I'm asking you to let me stay, let me make this work."

And then he's frozen and she fights not to recall that night. "Rory," he sighs after a moment and she tenses. His eyes drift down to their hands as he tangles his fingers with hers and she swallows thickly. "We were never made to work," he murmurs.

"So fuck what the cards say!" she backs away from him and throws her arms in the air, exasperated. Various passersby stop to watch her outburst and she reddens, shaking her head as she turns to walk back to his car. Jess follows after her, shouting her name, and she shakes her head and quickens her pace.

When she gets to his car she opens the passenger door, climbing in and slamming it shut. The interior of the car vibrates from the impact of metal on metal and she crosses her arms defensively, settling back in the seat in irritation.

He doesn't say anything when he gets in a minute later, and they sit there in silence for a solid five minutes before she decides to speak. "Just drive," she demands, sinking further into the seat. Sighing, he acquiesces, and the ride to his apartment is tense and uncomfortable, completely silent aside from her angry sniffles and the sound of the engine running.

--

The water feels cold to her skin and she frowns, glancing at her fingers. They are wrinkled and feel completely foreign to her when she presses them together, though she doesn't think she's been in the shower that long. Rory sighs heavily and runs her hands through her hair one last time, gently turning the water off before stepping out of the shower.

After running a towel through her hair and changing into her pajamas, she stands in front of the mirror for a long while. Examining her reflection, she frowns at how glassy her eyes look, and upon further inspection she realizes the skin around her eyes is puffy with the dried weight of her tears.

She sighs again and turns, walking out of the bathroom with purpose. She heads down the hall to his bedroom and stops when she reaches the doorway, finding him asleep in his bed. Her frown comes without another thought and she folds her arms across her stomach, leaning against the doorframe as she rests her head against the wood.

He snores lightly in his sleep, something she had never known when they were together before, though her mother had informed her of it after a night spent at the diner during a different sort of small-town tragedy. Rory sighs quietly and smiles a little when he shifts, mumbling to himself.

It pisses her off that she can't remain pissed at him, no matter how hard she tries. Rolling her eyes, she turns on her heel and walks out into the living room, lying down on the couch and pulling a blanket out of the cracks in the seat cushions. Snuggling down in an attempt to get comfortable, she tugs the material up over her shoulders and closes her eyes, ignoring the gnawing in her gut with determination she hasn't felt for a long, long time.

--

Bacon sizzles in the kitchen and she opens her eyes blearily, slowly lowering the blanket from around her head as she stares up at the living room ceiling. There is a crick in her neck from sleeping on the couch all night and she sighs, turning her head to alleviate the pain. Jess is murmuring to someone in the kitchen and she frowns, sitting up and swinging her legs over the side of the couch.

Wandering in the direction of the smell, she stops and leans against the counter while he manipulates a frying pan full of eggs, scrambling them and talking on the phone distractedly. He doesn't look up when she walks into the room, but he tenses slightly and she knows he's aware of her presence.

Dropping the phone on the counter, he grabs a plate and fills it full of eggs, turning to her as he sets it on the opposite counter. "Eggs, bacon's over there," he gestures behind him vaguely. She nods her understanding and he smirks softly, starting to move past her before she grabs his wrist and stops him.

Jess freezes but doesn't turn to look at her. With a role of her eyes, Rory slides her hand down and tangles her fingers together with his, forcing him to turn around and make eye contact with her. Once her blue orbs absorb into his brown, she opens her mouth to speak and he cuts her off quickly.

"Your mom called, too," he nods, sliding his thumb across her knuckles. She squeezes his hand and nods, arching an eyebrow slightly.

"What'd she say?"

"Nothing of substance," he rolls his eyes. "You should probably call her back, though."

Nodding, "Okay." Her hand tightens around his and he sighs, pleading silently with her. Rory shakes her head and rests her other hand on his shoulder, angling her body so that she is right in front of him. "When do you have to be at Truncheon?"

"Half an hour," he replies. She nods absently. "I should finish getting ready," he continues, nodding toward his room. She nods again and lets go of his hand, letting him brush past her as he leaves the kitchen.

The door doesn't slam but she thinks it probably should.

--

When she settles down at the coffee table with her laptop and a fresh cup of coffee, she is determined to sign up for online classes at Yale and finish the year through self-study. She can complete most of her courses through the internet, and with Doyle reclaiming his position as the rightful editor of the Yale Daily News, he is allowing her the chance to submit her stories by email. It makes things easier, though all of her interviews take place on the phone as opposed to in person, now.

That part is rather frustrating.

Rory sighs and taps her fingers against the keyboard impatiently, waiting for the system to boot up so that she can hurry up and get this done. She's missed a little more than a week of class time by this point, and playing catch-up is something she hates.

Not to say she isn't good at it, because after years of practice she has finally perfected the art. The point is that she hates being left behind.

She never applies that concept to Jess, though. It hurts to much to think about his leaving, her months waiting by the phone knowing he wouldn't call, the tears that stained her pillow for so long after his departure to be with his father. She sighs and takes a sip of her coffee, picking up the phone and dialing to take her mind off their past.

Paris picks up after the first ring and she sounds like she's ready to kill someone.

Oh. Well. It's nice to know some things don't change.

"Deep breaths and count to ten," Rory reminds. She can practically hear her friend roll her eyes and she bites back a laugh as Paris starts ranting about the general stupidity of the newspaper staff. After a while she finally stops to take a breath, and her attitude does a one-eighty as she remembers who she's talking to.

"How's Holden?"

"Avoiding me," Rory replies.

"What? I can kill him if you want me to; it might help with the pent-up aggression."

She laughs, "No, that wouldn't help. I appreciate the offer, though."

"Any time. So why is he avoiding you?"

"We had a confrontation the other night, words were exchanged, we kissed, and now we're not really speaking."

"I'm sorry, you kissed?"

"Yes."

"Who kissed who?"

"You sound like my mother."

"Get over it," Paris snaps. "You kissed him, didn't you?" she questions. Without waiting for Rory's response, she continues, "Okay, I understand that you have some sort of crazy fetish with him and that, yes, you are probably still in love with him on some level but how could you act on those feelings without confirming his first? I thought you knew better, Rory," she sighs. Rory blinks and opens her mouth, trying to think of a retort and failing miserably.

"I…"

"Oh, don't defend yourself, I know the story already," Paris grumbles. Rory sinks back against the couch and continues to listen to her friend speak, the topic of conversation changing back to the general annoyances of life.

She doesn't even notice that her computer is loaded, and when the screensaver comes on the screen she's too confused to care.

--

Jess rolls his eyes and lets his head fall back against his chair, torn between bashing his co-worker's head in with a blunt object and stabbing him in the neck with a steak knife. Chris is leaning against his desk, dishing out advice that doesn't make any fucking sense, and if there was ever a moment in Jess's life where he didn't care that murder was illegal, this is it.

"…and you admitted last night that you're still in love with her, so I don't see the problem," Chris stops talking and shrugs his shoulders, eyebrows arched in question. Jess runs his hand through his hair and then waves it flippantly.

"Are you done now?"

A pause, and then Chris shakes his head. "No," he decides. "Because you aren't listening to me and there is a gorgeous girl sitting at your apartment right now, probably trying to figure out why you don't want her anymore."

"I _do_ want her," Jess argues.

"I know that and you know that, but dude-" Chris shakes his head "-she does not know that."

"She's got enough to deal with without adding a relationship to the mix."

"Dude, I have watched you pine for this chick ever since you moved here and we published your ass. You're honestly going to sit here and tell me that you don't want to be with her because you're not sure she can handle it?"

"First of all, stop calling me dude," Jess sighs and leans forward in his chair, taking his feet off his desk and setting them back on the ground. "You know that drives me insane. Secondly, you don't know her. I've never seen her this…broken," he decides, folding his hands in his lap and leaning back again. "I don't want to disappoint her again when she's already got so much to fix."

Chris furrows his brow, "Who says you're going to disappoint her again?"

"It's what I do."

"You're not seventeen anymore. And you're way less emo now than you were then, if your stories are any indication."

"I was not emo."

"Well, whatever. The point is that you still love her, and if she came here to be with you then I don't see why you shouldn't take advantage of that. Obviously she wants to make it work, so maybe you should just suck it up and accept the fact that you two are supposed to try again." He pops a hard candy into his mouth and shrugs his shoulders again, stepping back from Jess' desk.

"What are you, God now?" Jess retorts. His heart isn't in the quip and Chris grins with a wink.

"If the shoe fits," he laughs and starts backing up in the direction of his own desk. "All I'm saying is you should test this out before you make the girl run home crying."

Chris turns around and walks away, leaving Jess staring at his phone, torn.

--

He opens the door of his apartment only to have a shoe fly at his head, hit the wall a few inches from the door, and land on the floor with a thud. Furrowing his brow, he glares down at the object and then looks up at the girl sitting on his couch, arching an eyebrow curiously. Rory blushes and he laughs, shaking his head as he drops his bag on the floor and discards his jacket on a chair.

"What did the shoe do to you?"

She huffs, "Nothing, but the laptop is too expensive to throw." Jess nods.

"Ah," he agrees, continuing to nod as he makes his way to the couch. Rory looks up at him as he sits down next to her and he gestures to the screen, refusing to make eye contact. "So what's the problem?"

"Your wireless sucks," she replies after a moment, turning back to the computer with a groan. "I keep getting kicked off every time I try to register for a class."

"I'll call the company tomorrow," he promises, nodding as he sinks back into the cushions. Drumming his fingers on his stomach, he hums the tune of a Decemberists song under his breath and watches as she deliberately browses the site she's at, registering for the rest of her classes so that she can still finish college on schedule.

The fact that she's this serious about staying makes his heart skip a beat, but admitting that Chris is right is something he doesn't want to do. Jess rolls his eyes at himself and shakes his head, finally turning his head to look at her when she flops back next to him on the couch.

Rory stares stubbornly at the computer screen while he stares stubbornly at her, and they're both half-lying on the couch and it's not as awkward as it probably should be. Sighing, he reaches over and grabs her hand, tangling their fingers together as he traces the movement with his eyes.

When she glances at him he smirks, and his thumb glides across the back of her hand with purpose. "All registered?" he questions amiably.

"Yeah," she nods dumbly and turns her attention from his face to their intertwined hands. He feels her shiver as he continues to trace designs into her skin, and a smile tugs at the corner of his mouth.

He nods, "Good." After a pause he continues, "So I guess that means you're going to be here a while, huh?"

"If you let me stay," she nods in turn and sinks further into the couch, pressing her thumb against his to stop his movements. Jess nods redundantly and looks up at her, jiggling their hands a little to get her attention. Rory glances up at him and he leans over, capturing her mouth gently.

She sighs into his mouth and it's his turn to shiver, though this clichéd bit about giving each other chills kind of annoys him. Forgetting the thought, he leans his forehead against hers and exhales slowly. Her lips curve beneath his own when he kisses her again and he can't help but smile in return.

"Yeah, I'll let you stay."


	5. Epilogue: His Rory

Disclaimer: I do not own them! God!

A/N: I was going through my plans for this story the other night and it occurred to me that they've all been accomplished, for the most part. I know, this story is short, and I know updates have been random at best.

But this is the final chapter, the epilogue if you'd prefer. It's not any longer than the other chapters but it wraps up everything that I wanted this story to deal with. I had a lot of fun writing it and I hope you have just as much fun reading it. Leave me a review and let me know what you think – I appreciate all of the others I've gotten and I'd love to get a final opinion.

--

She sits on the floor of the living room, sorting through his CDs with a sigh. They're organized by genre, something that has annoyed her since she started staying with him three months ago. No, actually, it has annoyed her since he first moved to Stars Hollow. Trying to borrow music from him was always too difficult. Eventually she gave up and forced him to look for what she wanted. When he wouldn't, she would go to Lane. It just seemed to much easier.

Rory thinks it's time to put them into alphabetical order so that they're easier to find, and she's tired of arguing with him over Coldplay's placement in his alternative section.

Jess lies. They are not alternative.

"Oh my God, how long have you been sitting here?"

Her head tilts back so that she can see him and she smiles brightly. "Two hours," she tells him cheerfully, ignoring the loose hair that is falling out of her haphazard ponytail. It brushes across her shoulders and she breathes out slowly, blowing strands away from her face.

"It's taken you that long to put all of these in alphabetical order?" he arches an eyebrow questioningly, mockingly, and she pouts playfully.

"I get distracted easily!"

"You get that from Lorelai," he sighs and sits down next to her, gazing at her work indifferently. "So why exactly are you doing this right now?"

"Bored," she shrugs. "And it's been bothering me ever since I moved in, so I figure I should deal with it before it drives me totally insane."

"Here I thought you were already totally insane," he chuckles lightly and kisses the dip behind her ear, reveling in the shiver that flies down her spine. Rory scoots imperceptibly closer to him on the carpet and he rests his hand on her thigh, tracing his thumb across the seam of her sweats. "Take a break?"

"Why, so you can mess up my system and make me start all over?"

"I'm disappointed that you would think so little of me."

"Poor baby," she mock-coos, laughing as she kisses him. Jess rolls his eyes and kisses her back gently. He stares at her seriously for a moment and then wraps her hand in his, standing and tugging her with him.

"Come on," he tugs on her hand again and she finally consents, standing so that she is almost eye-level with him. She reaches up and brushes his hair back from his forehead, frowning slightly at the serious look in his eyes. His arms wrap loosely around her waist and she locks eyes with him.

"What's going on in that head?"

"Lots of stuff," he murmurs, capturing her mouth briefly. Losing herself in him, she wraps her arms around his neck and tangles her fingers up in his hair, exploring the familiar curves of his mouth with her tongue. He groans and tightens his grip on her waist, pulling her closer to him.

"Mm," she pulls away lazily, nodding to herself. "So that's why you want me to take a break," she breathes. Jess shrugs and ducks his head, letting his mouth hover over hers. She inhales sharply and brushes her lips across his lightly. Teasingly. His fingers dig into her sides and she squirms with laughter from the sensation.

"Ticklish?"

"You know I a—" her response is cut off in a high-pitched shriek as he assaults her sides with his fingertips, brushing them carefully over her ribs over and over again. Rory manages to jerk away from him and back up, kicking over various piles of CDs in the process. She glares.

"You did that on purpose!" she accuses. He adopts an innocent expression and shoves his hands in his pockets, rocking back on his heels. She continues to glare at him and crosses her arms over her chest indignantly. Jess smirks.

_There_ is his Rory. Right there, standing in front of him in all of her pissed-off glory. Three months ago he could barely find her beneath the hard, society-woman exterior she'd built, and he's proud to say that he can't find a trace of that girl anymore. Woman.

That Rory. Because it wasn't really her, and he was well aware of it when she showed up on his doorstep. She tells him that she came to him because she knew he wouldn't bullshit her, because she knew he would force her to be herself if she ever wanted to have anything with him. Even friendship. And he believes her because he knows that it's true, because old Rory never lied.

New Rory did, but she's not here anymore. Old Rory sleeps in his bed at night, wears his t-shirts and dances around the kitchen to Ted Leo and the Pharmacists in the mornings while she's getting ready for work.

She works in the bookstore portion of Truncheon, and she positively glows when she's discussing books with him, his co-workers, customers. It fascinates him to watch her, and the fact that they have a routine now makes him smile. The fact that she's melted back into the girl he fell in love with makes him want to jump for joy.

"I think you're being paranoid," he says softly. His voice is husky and Rory visibly tenses at the sound, blue eyes slowly moving to lock with his brown. He grins at her and she continues to pout, though when he steps forward and takes her hands in his she doesn't protest.

Kissing her softly, he pulls her closer to him and rests his hands on her hips. She sighs against him and wraps her arms around his neck, closing her eyes as he trails his mouth across her jaw. His lips burn paths down her throat and she gasps quietly, arching her neck to give him more room.

"Paris is going to be here soon," she breathes, inhaling sharply when he bites down in her shoulder. Jess sighs and wraps his arms around her tightly, soothing the bite with a chaste kiss.

"The fact that you're thinking about Paris right now makes me really concerned for your mental health."

"Jess," she sighs and pushes him away. "She's only here for the night, and I haven't seen her since I left."

"That's because she hates me and doesn't want anything to do with me. Remember the one and only time she was here? She threatened to kick my ass."

"She threatened to kick your ass if you hurt me," she corrects gently. "And you and I both know she's not high on the list of people who would do the same thing. I'm number one."

"Hello, ego," he teases. Laughing, she hugs him gently and kisses his cheek.

"I'm going to go change," she whispers, kissing him one last time before heading for the bedroom. She can feel him watching her and she shoots a smile over her shoulder as she shuts the bedroom door behind her.

Looking around the room makes her heart skip a beat. It's different than it was when she first showed up, though to an outsider it hasn't changed at all. Her clothes hang in the other side of the closet where his are no longer allowed to stray and the pillow on her side of the bed is fluffier than his. It smells like her shampoo, which sits in the bathroom, and despite the fact that she has her own clothes she still prefers wearing his.

T-shirts that are too big on her and sweats that fit once she rolls them up make her feel comforted. Safe. His. Rory takes a deep breath and crosses the room, tugging clothes off of hangers so that she can greet her best friend in something that doesn't scream lazy.

--

"Rory, Paris is here!"

"Can you answer the door, please? I'm almost done!"

"You're sitting right next to the door!"

"Jess!"

He groans and leaves the bedroom, sending her a glare as he passes her in the living room. Her attention is riveted to the CDs that she's sliding onto his shelf and she doesn't notice. With a sigh, he swings the front door open and is almost hit in the face for his efforts.

Paris slowly lowers her fist, looking almost regretful that she didn't manage to nail him, and she straightens up quickly. "Hi, Holden."

"Josef," he returns. She glares at him and then looks past his shoulder into the apartment. He leans against the doorframe, arching an eyebrow, and she huffs impatiently.

"Are you going to invite me in or am I expected to build a fire on the porch to keep warm for the night?"

"Can you rub two sticks together and get a spark? That's a skill I never managed to acquire."

Rory looks up at that and rolls her eyes, standing up and walking to the door. She rests her hand on Jess' shoulder and pulls him away from the doorway so that she can greet her friend.

"Paris," she smiles brightly and hugs the blonde tightly, closing her eyes briefly. "I'm so glad you're here," she pulls back and glances over her shoulder at her boyfriend, sighing softly. "Ignore him, he's being grumpy today."

"I thought that was his default setting," Paris deadpans, following her friend into the apartment. She looks around with interest, noting that the boxes of books she sent a month ago are sitting in the corner of the living room. Her eyes narrow and then she notices the absolute lack of space on the bookshelves lining the walls.

"Okay, so we can go out for dinner or Jess can cook or we can order something or …" Rory trails off, uncertain and a little nervous. Paris snaps her attention back to her and furrows her brow. Silence descends over the room for a moment and then she cocks her head to the side.

"You're different."

"What?"

"You. You're different. You're …" Paris quirks her mouth, folding her arms. "Not as regal as when you left."

Jess smirks and Rory blushes a little, nodding her agreement. "Yeah."

"So I guess Kerouac did his job, then," Paris turns to the only male in the room. "Let you go back."

"She did that herself, I just gave her a place to stay while she did it," he retorts. Rory leans back against him and he wraps an arm around her, kissing her head gently. Paris snorts.

"Place to stay. Right. I'm warning you, mister, if you hurt her or get her pregnant I will come after you with an axe. Maybe hire some minions to dismember you before I get here to deliver the final blow."

"Duly noted," he rolls his eyes and runs his hand down Rory's side.

"Okay."

Rory nods, uncomfortable with the subject. "So … Chinese?"

--

She blinks and knits her brow, trying to make sure she heard correctly. "I'm sorry, what was that?" she asks, a smile spreading across her face. Oh, yes. This is going in the history books. Probably literally, knowing Taylor and his neurotic tendencies.

"Don't make me repeat myself."

Rory smiles and snuggles under the covers, settling the phone comfortably against her ear. "You said it. You like Jess."

"This was not our original discussion, so I don't know why you're getting so off-topic. And telling lies! Here I thought you loved me, dearest daughter, yet you're tarnishing my reputation with awful things like that."

"Yes, _I'm_ ruining your reputation. I think that's a little hard to do at this point, don't you?"

Lorelai gasps indignantly. "Mean! If I didn't know any better I'd say you were accusing me of something terrible and awful and slutty!"

"Shall I bring up my conception?"

"Again, mean!"

Rory snickers and pulls the blankets up over her head, cocooning herself in the bed. The shower stops running a few seconds later and her stomach tightens pleasantly, her grip on the phone loosening in response. "Well, you can deal with it. Now let's get back to the subject at hand. You like Jess."

"I do not like Jess. I said," Lorelai clears her throat, "I like _Tess_. Hear the difference there?"

"You like Jess," Rory smiles, teasing. "You like him and you know it so you better just stop trying to deny it right now."

"I happen to like the Land Of Denial, thank you. Mel Brooks lives here and he gives me a sponge bath every night."

"Why did you put that image in my head? Now I'm going to have horrible nightmares of a naked you with a sponge and Mel Brooks."

"Sounds just perfect enough to work!"

"Right," Rory nods. "But unfortunately, my dreams like to stay centered around the same basic things."

"Jess naked?"

"Mom!"

"What? You act all offended when you two are probably making with the love night and day!"

"I don't know why I talk to you about things. Really, I should just stop talking to you entirely."

"Ah, but it was I who brought you into this world, and therefore it is biologically pre-determined that you talk to me," Lorelai replies. Rory snorts.

"Most children stop speaking to their parents when they move out. I should've listened to all the kids at Chilton who did exactly that. My life would be so much easier."

"K, sweetie, you're starting to give Mommy a complex here."

The blankets are pulled off her head before she can respond, and she smiles brightly when Jess leans down to kiss her forehead. "Mmhmm," she agrees absently. His lips press to hers briefly and then he crawls back off the mattress, heading into the kitchen to set the coffee machine for the next morning. Rory sighs and sinks into her pillow.

"Jess is out of the shower, isn't he?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Then I'm going to leave before I have to hear all the dirty things the two of you do. Internet classes are almost completed?"

"They are," Rory agrees. "And then I have two and a half months off before I have to figure out senior year."

"And you're happy?"

Jess walks back into the bedroom, idly scratching a hand through his wet hair. He crawls into bed next to his girlfriend and she smiles, nodding to no one in particular. "Very."

"I love you, Rory."

"Love you too, Mom."

"Goodnight."

She says goodbye and hangs up the phone, setting it on the nightstand before turning back to him. Snuggling up to his chest, she inhales deeply and smiles. "You smell good."

"As always," he replies softly. Rory laughs softly and kisses him gently, pulling back to rest her head against his pillow. She stares at him seriously, tracing the contours of his face with her eyes, and he stares back at her just as intently.

"I love you," she tells him, honestly. Nodding, he pulls her into his body and murmurs the words into her hair, rubbing her arms when shivers ricochet through her nervous system. And when she falls asleep, completely wrapped up in his slightly-damp form, she forgets all about her mother and sponges and Mel Brooks.

Staying.

That's what she dreams about, and the desire to be with him is so palpable she wants to cry. But at least she's being honest with herself now. And it's so much more than the nothing she always thought truth was.

Welcome to everything.

_fin._

--

A/N #2: Just one last thank you to everyone who read/reviewed this story. It always brightened my day to see a new review in my inbox, and I hope the ending of this justified not only _Baking Chocolate_ but the prequel, _Offbase Broken_, as well. See you soon.


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